Door checking and holding device



Nov. 18, 1958 s. J. GALLA DOOR CHECKING AND HOLDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25 .l 1954 $.J. GALL/1 INVENTOR.

BY am ATTORNEYS` UnitedStates PatentV O noon CHECKING AND rroLnlNG DEVICE Stephen J. Galla, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application October 25,1954, Serial No'.` 464,269

3 Claims. (Cl. 1685) l This invention relates generally` to door checking and holding devices. for motor vehicle doors, and has particular reference to a device of this type providing an automatic assist to the initial opening movement of the door.

The door checking and holding device of the present invention utilizes a conventional 'retaining' bracket mounted within the door adjacent the jamb face and supporting a fixed anti-friction roller and a moveable anti-friction roller spring urged toward the xed roller. A check arm pivotally connected to the vehicle body extends between the two rollers and is provided with retaining means adjacent its end for checking the opening movement of the door and for retaining the door in its fully opened position. Adjacent the pivot end of the check arm the latter i-s provided vwith an integral Yinclined ramp portion engageable with one of the rollers and located so that in the closed position of the door the roller is located near the outer upper portion of the ramp. When the door latch is released to permit the door to be opened the spring urged roller cooperates with the inclined ramp to provide an initial and automatic assist to the openingmovement of the door.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross sectional view through a portion of the vehicle door and the adjacent door pillar, showing the door checking and holding mechanism of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, but partly broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 but showing the door partially open.

The reference character indicates a motor vehicle door hinged to the adjacent body pillar 12 for pivotal movement about a hinge axis 14. Conventional hinge means can be used and are not shown in this drawing. The wall 16 of the pillar adjacent the jamb face 18 of the door is depressed and provided with an opening through which extends a U-shaped bracket 20 having a base 22 suitably secured to the pillar wall 16. The bracket 20 also extends through an opening 24 in the jamb face 18 of the door in the closed position of the latter as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A reinforcing member 26 is located within the door 10 and is welded to the inner panel 28 of the door and also to the jamb face 18 thereof. Secured to the inner side of the reinforcing member 26 is a supporting bracket assembly indicated generally by the reference character 30. The supporting bracket assembly 30 is formed of two generally L-sh-aped members having bases 32 bolted to the reinforcing member 26 and a pair of spaced parallel side flanges 34. The reinforcing member 26 is formed with an elongated slot 36 between the side llanges 34 of the supporting bracket assembly.

An anti-friction roller 38 is rotatably mounted upon f p 2,860,369 ce rapenfed Nov. 1.81958 a pivot pin 40 extending between the opposite side flanges 34 o f the supporting bracket assembly. A second anti-friction roller 42 is provided, being mounted upon a pivot pin 44 moveable in slots 46 formed in the opposite side anges 34 of the supporting bracket assembly 30. The opposite ends of the pivot pin 44 extend a distance beyond the side anges 34 and are engaged by coil springs 48 the opposite ends of which are hooked over upsta'nding flanges 50 formed at the ends of the bases 32 ofthe bracket. It will thus be seen that the. springs 48 urge the moveable roller 42 toward the p fix-ed roller 38.

A hat one-piece check arm 52 is pivotally connected by means of a pin 54 to the bracket 20 carried by the door pillar 12. The check arm extends through the opening 24 in the' jarnb face of the door and through the slot 36 in the reinforcing member 26 and between' the side flanges 34 of the supporting bracket assembly 30. Adjacent its free end check arm 52 is formed with a pair' of spaced, shoulders 55 and 56 engageable with the anti-friction roller 38 when the door is moved to its partial and fully open positions respectively to releasably hold the door in the position selected. A hook 57 is formed at the end of the check arm 52 to engage the roller 38 and limit the opening movement of the door.

Adjacent the end of the check arm 52 pivotally conne'ctedl at 54 to the body bracket 20 is an integral ange 58. The check arm 52 is tlat and formed of sheet metal, and the ange 58 is an integral portion of the flat check arm projecting from one edge thereof. The flange 58 has an inclined ramp portion 60 facing toward the free end of the arm and connected to the body portion of the arm 52 Iby means of an arcuate portion 62. At its opposite and outer end ramp 60 is formed with a rounded terminal end portion 64.

In the closed position of the `door as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the moveable roller 42 engages the ramp 60 near its outer terminal end 64. The coil springs 48 are under considerable tension in this position, and when the conventional door lock (not shown) at the opposite edge of the door is released, the coil springs 48 urge the roller 42 down the inclined ramp 60 to provide an initial and automatic assist force tending to open the door. The door is thus automatically lmoved from the position shown in Figures l and 2 to the position shown in Figure 3 in which the roller 42 has moved outwardly along the check arm 52 to a portion of the latter having a uniform width, beyond the ramp 60 and its curved interconnecting portion 62. Further movement of the door is accomplished manually.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an assist to the opening movement of the door is automatically provided during the initial range only, at which time an assist is most needed. The inclined ramp on the edge of the check arm is so positioned that in the fully closed position of the door the moveable roller engages a high point on the ramp so that the maximum assist is immediately available when the door is unlocked. The outer portion of the ramp 60 is approximately 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal aXis of the check arm, and the inclination of the ramp gradually decreases until it merges into the straight edge of the check arm body and the degree of assist is correspondingly decreased. As a result, the closing movement of the door is facilitated since the ramp is only engaged during the final closing movement at which time the door momentum is such as to enable the resistance to closing movement afforded by the ramp to Ibe readily overcome.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor vehicle having a door structure and a ydoor supporting structure, a pair of spaced abutments mounted upon one of said structures, one of said abutments being movable bodily toward the other abutment, spring means biasing said one abutment toward the other abutment, an arm pivotally connected to the other of said structures and extending between said abutments with its opposite edges engaged by said abutments, said arm having an inclined ramp on one edge thereof, said inclined ramp having a high point with said high point being located between a plane passing through said `abutments and the pivotal connection of said arm toV said other structure when the door structure is at its fully closed position, said inclined ramp `facing the free end of said arm and engaging one of said abutments adjacent said high point to provide an automatic assist to the initial opening movement of the door structure from its fully closed position.

2. In a motor vehicle body having a door structure and a door supporting structure, a bracket mounted upon one of said structures, a pair of spaced rollers mounted upon said bracket, one of said rollers being movable bodily toward the other roller, spring means biasing said one roller toward said other roller, a flat check arm pivotally connected to the other of said structures and extending between said rollers with its opposite edges engaged by said rollers, said arm having an integral inclined ramp on one edge thereof positioned near the pivoted end of said check arm, said inclined ramp having a high point with said high point being located between the plane containing the axes of said rollers and the pivotal connection of said check arm to said other structure when the door structure is at its fully closed position, said inclined ramp facing the free end of said check arm and engaging one of said rollers adjacent said 'high point to provide an automatic assist to the initial opening movement of the door structure from its fully closed position, and retaining means on one edge of said check arm adjacent the free end thereof and engageable with one of said rollers to hold said door structure in an open position.

3. The structure defined by claim 2 which is further characterized in that the inclined ramp portion of said check arm comprises a generally triangular shaped integral prolongation at one edge of said check arm with the side of said triangular prolongation facing the free end of the check arm being inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the check arm at substantially a 45 angle and interconnected with the edge of the body portion of the check arm by means of an arcuate portion to provide an initial assist to the opening movement of the door from a fully closed position and to gradually and progressively diminish the assist so that a smooth transition is made from the initial assisted portion of the opening movement of the door to the subsequent normal intermediate movement of the door.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,194 Coultaus July 27, 1886 2,032,600 Smith Mar. 3, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 185,663 Great Britain Sept. 14, 1922 

